The Two of Us
by Constance-Lirit
Summary: Lenore (OC) x Madara - A short story about a snippet of life in the estate for Lenore and Madara. With the Uchiha's birthday approaching Lenore takes on a bet that she can make a wonderful present for the birthday boy, much to his, and his father's, laughter. (Rated M for suggestive sexual content and minor violence.)
1. Chapter 1

High in the trees the morning zephyr was trickling through the leaves at a slow pace, while the birds were twittering away as Lenore was quietly getting dressed for the day ahead. Turning to peer at her sleeping fiancé the young woman rolled her eyes softly and went to wake him up, being careful not to get too close and put herself in danger of being groped unrepentantly.  
"Wakey, wakey." she murmured, crouching to pull at the long tresses of Madara's ebony hair. "C'mon, sleeping beauty, it's time to get up." she uttered in a sing-song fashion, her face settling when she found his hand appear to start groping it.  
At first he seemed confused, his eyes drifting open as his arm shifted away to see what he had been fondling.  
"You wont get me again." Lenore informed him, standing up to go find him something to wear. Squeaking she stiffened when he grabbed her behind, her body spinning on her heel to confront him.  
"Got you." he murmured in a sleepy manner, dipping his arm and head back underneath the covers to avoid his vest top being thrown at him.

After some convincing the Uchiha had finally gotten out of bed to get ready, the room remaining quiet until Lenore finally spoke up from her position on the edge of the bed.  
"Good luck on your mission." Lenore spoke, watching Madara get the last of his things ready at the side of their bedroom closet. "You'll be home for dinner, wont you?" the Uchiha asked, while he simply paused.  
"Dinner, I almost forgot." he spoke in a hush manner, turning his attention towards her. "Lenore, I forgot to tell you something." he stated, slipping another kunai into the pouch on his hip.  
"What?" she anticipated, raising her eyebrow.  
"Now, promise you wont get mad." Madara then spoke, painfully dragging out this 'forgotten' piece of information.  
"Oh, go ahead, nothing you can say will upset me this morning. I'm in a good mood, and I'm going to stay that way all day long." the ebony haired woman informed him gently, smiling a little.  
"I invited father to have dinner with us." he finally spoke in as quick a voice as he could.  
"Well, that was a short day." Lenore bluntly stated, her smile dropping.

Frowning the leader's son came that little bit closer, hoping to reason with her the best he could.  
"Now, Lenore, you promised you wouldn't get mad." Madara protested softly.  
"I'm not mad," she sighed, "but your father had dinner with us just two days ago." she huffed.  
"That was two weeks ago!" he corrected her, raising his voice ever so slightly in disbelief.  
"How time flies." she murmured, slipping off the bed to stand just a foot shorter than him.  
"Honestly, Lenore, you're being unfair. He's coming over to have dinner with us so why don't you just be nice to him?" he requested, frowning in an almost enticing fashion.  
"Okay, Spot, I'll be nice to him." she sighed softly, smiling up at him. "I'll feed the hand that bites me." she chuckled, shooing him out the bedroom door when he tried to lay his lips onto hers. "You'll be late if you stay any longer." she told him, waving softly in a teasing fashion when he gave her a momentary glance of disappointment.

Later that evening Lenore sat with Madara and his father, Tajima, the trio remaining as silent as ever as both Lenore and her father-in-law tried not to let their bitter conflict ruin the nice evening.  
"More horenso, father?" she offered, holding the bowl out towards him in an act of peace.  
"Thank you, Lenore." he spoke, taking it from her to set some down on his plate.  
"Madara, do you want some horenso?" Lenore then asked her fiancé, who was sitting directly opposite her around the small shin height table.  
"No, I'm alright." the Uchiha protégé answered, giving the bowl a minor look of distaste.  
"But Madara, son," his father spoke, sipping from his cup as Lenore slowly hitched her eyebrow. "you should eat your vegetables." his father informed him.  
"But I don't like horenso." the Uchiha protested softly.

Tutting his father gave him a hard look for a moment, Madara was too old to be fussy.  
"We must all eat a well balanced meal to keep our strengths up. After all, food is the fuel and your body is the furnace." Tajima explained, trying to be as wise as he thought he was.  
"Yeah, but Madara's furnace's turned into a pot-bellied stove." Lenore piped up, hiding her smirking lips behind her slightly curled index finger. Slowly his father turned to look at Lenore, while Madara gave her a look that could churn milk into yogurt.  
"I must say, Lenore, I don't think Madara is overweight at all. In fact I think he's been looking a little thin and under nourished lately." her father-in-law informed her, while Lenore could do nothing else but whisper 'oh, here it comes'. "Have you been getting enough to eat, son?" Tajima enquired, turning his attention back to him.  
"Of course." Madara uttered.  
"Well, you don't look it to me, kiddo." his father went on, while Lenore simply rolled her eyes.  
"Don't worry, father, 'kiddo' gets his pabulum every three hours." she coyly responded, watching his father's eyelids narrow.

Hearing the servant come in the table soon went quiet once more, the young woman bringing a tray over to stop beside Lenore and speak.  
"Coffee anyone?" she enquired when she assumed it was safe to speak.  
"Not for Madara, it keeps him awake and you know he needs his beauty sleep." his father informed the help, a short nod bobbing their head before they turned their attention to Lenore.  
"Coffee, M'am?" she asked, while the young woman just lowered her shoulders.  
"No, thank you. It'll keep me awake, and you know I need my ugly nap." the Uchiha informed her, the servant nodding once more as she turned to bring the coffee back into the kitchen nearby.  
"Alright, Lenore, settle down." Madara murmured, putting another small inarizushi into his mouth.

After another few minutes of silence Tajima finally spoke, his eyes drifting onto his son once more.  
"About Monday evening, two weeks from now, what are you doing about your birthday celebration?" the Uchiha asked, while Madara continued playing with his spinach.  
"What I usually do, probably. Invite close friends, spar with a few of the stronger guests, open presents and then go see a few stri-" he stated, cutting himself off at the last second as Lenore's gaze began to narrow. "Striped fireworks." he quickly corrected himself, his father blinking. "I think fireworks would be an interesting way to end the evening this time." the Uchiha uttered.  
"It would need to go out with a 'bang', wouldn't it?" Lenore commented sarcastically, gaining her father-in-laws attention again.

He seemed to contemplate his next choice words carefully, the very thing making the woman stiffen internally.  
"Do you have any idea what you'll get Madara for this birthday?" his father asked, the minor questioning making the woman sigh with relief invisibly.  
"Not yet, no. I'm not sure I've the money to get anything fancy." she uttered gingerly, while he simply smirked a little.  
"That's alright, I'm sure you can make him something for his birthday." he chuckled, gaining a small smirk from Madara.  
"Could you imagine Lenore making me a birthday present?" he asked, while Lenore's eyes began to slit.  
"Well, let's all have a big laugh, it's good for the digestion. Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha." she responded bluntly, not even remotely amused by the subject of conversation as much as they were.

Gaining their composure Madara was the first to speak, his amused smile still in place.  
"Now Lenore, you have to admit that is a pretty funny idea." he tried to reason with her, but her frown remained in place.  
"I fail to see what's so funny about it. I could make you a birthday present." she protested.  
"Of course you could, if you knew how." his father replied this time, causing Lenore's frown to intensify.  
"Well, I do know how to make things." the Uchiha protested.  
"Lenore, why don't I just give you money and you can go buy me something." Madara offered, while Lenore's face seemed to falter.

Thinking about it for a moment she then responded softly.  
"Well, with only two weeks to make you something I guess-" she went to say, getting cut off by his father.  
"Since Lenore has failed you on your birthday why don't you let me have someone pick out a present for her." his father offered, while the woman simply huffed.  
"That does it, I'm going to make you a present!" she snapped, while her fiancé lowered his drink.  
"Oh, come on, Lenore." he spoke, while his father began to grin.  
"I'd like to see it when you're done." he brashly stated, unable to hold back the laugh that was trickling out from between his lips.  
"Go ahead, laugh, I'll show you. I'll make Madara a birthday present, and it will be the best, the nicest, the most wonderful present you ever get!" she protested, only making the pair laugh even louder.

Early that next morning Lenore came scuttling in with Madara's breakfast, his ebony eyes darting to the food hungrily.  
"This looks good." he spoke, picking up some of the food to take a bite before recoiling his head. "These eggs are stone cold." he gasped, while Lenore gave the food a dissatisfied glance.  
"They are?" she asked, pouting.  
"But how did they get so cold, when did you cook them?" the Uchiha protégé enquired, poking his food softly.  
"Last night." she answered, causing his eyes to widen.  
"Last night?!" he exasperated gently, tilting his head up to look at her.  
"Well I'm going to be so busy making you a birthday present that I cooked your breakfast last night and quick froze it." she answered, causing Madara to growl in frustration.

Regaining his composure Madara examined her for a moment, his features softening.  
"Lenore, are you sure you want to go through with this?" he asked, while she put her hand up to stop him trying to convince her to change her mind.  
"I can handle this, don't you worry." she uttered, smiling brightly in such a way that it put him at ease.  
"So, what are you making me?" the Uchiha asked, while she simply shook her head.  
"It's a surprise." she informed him, a curious smile coming over his features.  
"Well, give me a clue." he uttered, pulling her closer to nuzzle the end of his nose into the top of her head.  
"Oh, okay. It's big…" she began, a small 'mhm' coming from his lips. "And it's small.." she continued, receiving a confused grunt from him. "It also has long shaggy hair, has three wheels, takes out ink-splotches and runs eight days without winding." she described, causing a rather disgruntled expression to crop up on his face.  
"That's what my father gave me on my last birthday." he protested, while she simply giggled.

Squeezing her against his side softly Madara hummed into her ebony tresses, his eyelids closing halfway.  
"Well, I'll tell you this much. I bought some materials and put them in the bedroom closet, so I want you to stay out of there, okay?" she requested, feeling him nod with his cheek rubbing against her.  
"Okay." he spoke, rather disappointed.  
"Well, I'm going to get started on your present." she uttered, getting up from the bed Madara was perched on to leave.  
Getting up the Uchiha put the plate onto the nightstand and began staring aimlessly at the bedroom closet, his ears faintly picking up the small voice of his brother, Izuna, as he greeted Lenore and came into the room to see his brother.  
"Brother… Brother?" he spoke, trying to gain his attention. "Why are you standing there staring at that closet?" he enquired, giving his brother a worried look.  
"Lenore told me my present was in her bedroom closet, and then made me promise I'd leave it alone. Only a woman could think of a mean thing like that." Madara finally answered, pouting gently.

Blinking his younger brother examined him and then the closet once more.  
"What are you going to do about it?" he dared to ask, his brother raising his eyebrow.  
"Absolutely nothing." he stated bluntly, his brother coming a little closer.  
"And then what?" he asked sceptically, knowing full well Madara was not about to let a mystery that was for him go unsolved. As suspected his eyebrow drifted up one side of his forehead, a devious smirk curling up the corner of his lips.  
"Izuna, you wont find me stooping to snooping." he answered, trying to sound as innocent as he could.  
"I'm sure I wont." his younger sibling responded, gazing at him suspiciously.  
"Of course, if there 'happened' to be something in there Lenore needed I'd have to look in the closet, wouldn't I?" he asked, leaning to the side to be closer to his brother. "Huh?" he enquired suggestively.  
"Well, I suppose so." the ebony haired teen answered.  
"What's in there that Lenore might need?" Madara questioned, glancing around.  
"Well, there's her.. umbrella? But the sun is shining." Izuna offered as an answer, watching Madara put his hand up as he went towards the balcony.  
"Oh, how do you like that, it suddenly looks like rain." the mischievous Uchiha stated abruptly.  
"It has seemed to have clouded up a little, hasn't it?" his brother uttered, following him to peep up at the sky.

Scuttling off towards the closet Madara slid open the door as Izuna turned to come have a look with him, beginning to wish he had not gotten involved in his brothers antics.  
"Oh, there's Lenore's umbrella, right behind this big, wrapped up parcel." he stated, picking it up to put on top of the bed. "And look, there's a little tear in the paper." he gasped, while Izuna scanned it over with an air of confusion.  
"Where?" he asked, watching as Madara slowly began to tear the once perfect paper on top of the box, smirking as he did so.  
"There." he answered finally in a blunt tone of voice, giving his brother a cunning glance as Izuna returned the look with a studious stare. "Oh, clumsy me." he suddenly gasped, leaning back. "Well, now that it's open I guess there's no turning back." he uttered, beginning to tear at the wrapping paper like an excited kid. "Oh, I wonder what it is. I bet she's trying to make that sculpture of me I was hinting at." he spoke, finally able to take off the lid and look inside.

Lifting away the lid Madara soon stilled and gave the box a scrutinising stare.  
"It's empty, there's nothing in this box." he uttered, rather disappointed.  
"Oh… Yes there is, at the bottom of the box, there's a card." Izuna answered, rather disappointed to see nothing there himself.  
"Oh yeah, let's see what it says." he murmured, picking it up turn it over and have a look. "Well, I like that." Madara soon spoke, scowling at the card.  
"What's it say?" the ebony haired teen enquired, blinking softly.  
"It says 'I thought I told you to stay out of here, nosey'." he stated, his younger brother's silence broken by heavy laughter.  
"Well, that settles it. Whatever Lenore's getting me for my birthday's going to be set on fire." he huffed, frowning bitterly.

Elsewhere the young Uchiha was at work pacing around the castle, her ebony eyes darting to the eldest of the Senju siblings, Hashirama, when she came around another corner and found him there. Heading over to him they greeted each other with a glance, a smile coming across his face as she spoke.  
"Hashirama, do you have any idea what everyone else is getting Madara for his birthday?" Lenore asked in a low voice.  
"No, not really." he answered, giving her a curious stare.  
"Oh darn, I've got to find out." Lenore huffed, sitting down on the bench beside him.  
"Why?" he asked, hitching his eyebrow.  
"Well, I'm knitting Madara a sweater, and if people are going to knock themselves out getting him some really expensive presents maybe a measly sweater isn't enough to give him." Lenore explained, sighing softly.  
"I see." he answered, observing her.  
"On the other hand, if they're going to give him some dinky little things why should I knock myself out making him a beautiful sweater?" she asked, causing him to smirk softly.

Chuckling the Senju leaned back, the Uchiha continuing.  
"I know it's the thought behind the gift that counts, I'm sure it doesn't make any difference to Madara what kind of a fur coat his guests will give him." she explained, causing Hashirama to chuckle a little more.  
"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you." he uttered, while she pouted softly and got up.  
"Oh well, I guess there's nothing I can do but give him his sweater and hope he likes it." Lenore sighed, waving goodbye to the Senju before wandering off.  
Back in a small, remote part of the house Lenore had began to set her mind upon making the sweater, a stiff look upon her face as she did so.  
"Pearl one, knit two, whoops! Oh, I dropped a stitch, oh dear.. Well, I can just save it if I put my needle through this loo- whoops! Oh, there goes another." she sighed, continuing to work. "Oh, well I guess I should of pulled this through- whoops! Oh, well, I was gonna do that row over again anyway. Darn it, this is slow work." Lenore huffed, hearing the door open nearby.

Hiding away her knitting utensils Lenore observed Izuna, who paused upon finding her here. He had thought he was the only one who knew of this place, but he supposed he did not mind that it was only Lenore skulking around here.  
"Oh, here you are Lenore, I was wondering where you had put yourself to avoid Madara." he spoke, observing her as she got out her knitting needles to pull out the row and start over with a frown.  
"I'm having an awful time with this sweater I'm knitting for Madara." she finally replied, pausing to gaze up at him softly.  
"Is that a sweater?" the young Uchiha enquired, blinking gently.  
"Well what does it look like?" Lenore responded, lifting it up slightly to show him.  
"That's a very good question." Izuna answered, staring at the mound of woven wool.

Sighing Lenore put it back down on her lap and picked up a book near to her that she had borrowed from the family library, a soft pout coming over her lips.  
"Oh, I know it's a mess, Izuna. I just can't understand it, I followed the directions exactly." the female explained, showing him the page she was on.  
"Well, let's see." he spoke, picking it up to have a look. "What's this thing sticking up here? It looks like a sock." the brother stated, while Lenore gave him a placid stare.  
"It is." she answered.  
"Is it?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows in confusion.  
"Yeah, the directions said 'pearl three inches and then knit a foot'." she uttered, quoting the book, to which Izuna remained quiet for a moment.  
"Lenore, it didn't mean that." Izuna stated, pursing his lips together to give her a flat stare.  
"I thought it seemed odd, I thought I was maybe knitting socks to match the jumper, and that I could cut them loose later." she explained, trying to give him a weak smile.  
"I see… Well, the rest of it looks- Wait, what's this hole for?" he asked, picking it up by the scruff.  
"That's the neck." Lenore answered.  
"Oh. Then what's this other hole for?" he enquired, picking up the other one.

Hesitantly Lenore laughed, her eyes lolling over the jumper.  
"Would you look at that, I've left two openings for his head." she murmured, smiling at Izuna while he gave her a simple look.  
"Lenore, I think you'll have to rip it all out and start again." he uttered, handing it back to her.  
"No, it's a shame to waste all that hard work." Lenore refused, petting the folded up mesh of fabric. "I ought to give it to someone." she murmured, examining it thoughtfully. "Do you know anyone with two heads, Izuna?" she enquired, lifting her head up to look at him.  
"Not off hand." he answered, causing her to pout for a moment then gasp.  
"Oh, I know. I'll knit a belt on the other end of it and Madara can wear them for trousers." she suggested, smiling brightly up at him. "No?" she then asked, seeing him give her a placid stare.  
"No." he stated firmly, causing her to grunt.  
"Bah, I'm not good at this. I wish I could knit like my mother could, she wouldn't even look at it and it would come out just perfectly." Lenore sighed, tugging at the intertwined strands of woven wool.

Watching Izuna go sit somewhere else in the room and read quietly to himself Lenore went back to work once more, her eyes drooping as she watched the needles twitch away in her hands. Hearing someone's voice Lenore and Izuna both lifted their heads, a curious expression passing over her features when her brother-in-law stood up.  
"I forgot to tell you, my father said he would come looking for you this morning." he belatedly informed her, watching the young woman settle in her seat.  
"Oh keen." she grumbled, frowning down at her knitting. "I wonder what Nosey-Rosy wants." she them muttered, eyeing up Izuna questioningly.  
"He didn't say." Izuna replied, just as in the dark as she was as to why their father was so interested in Lenore for once. "Maybe he's just coming to see how you are?" he suggested, causing Lenore to guffaw shortly.  
"Ha! Your father never comes over just to visit." she stated stiffly, going back to knitting. "He comes looking for me just to see what I'm doing that I shouldn't be doing, what I'm not doing that I should be doing, and what I am doing that, if he were doing it, he would do it a lot better." Lenore swiftly stated, causing Izuna to roll his eyes.  
"My father isn't that bad." he spoke firmly, observing the young woman.

Mumbling the young woman hissed when she dropped another switch, the frown on her face only increasing.  
"Let's face the music, Izuna, he only lives to see how badly I keep Madara." she mumbled. "An unmade bed is like a transfusion to him, it gives him the strength to run his finger across a table and see if there's any dust there." she then went on to grumble, while the young teen just hummed.  
"Well, he wont see any dust in this house. We have enough servants to keep it clean for us." he stated firmly, while Lenore just gave him a flat stare.  
"Oh, you dreamer." she replied, gaining a frown from the young man. "No, you can't win with that guy, Izuna. Sometimes I think he has dirt tattooed to the end of his finger." she huffed, leaning even further into the seat.

Looking across her work she then decided to take off the last two rows and begin them yet again.  
"Oh well, brooding about it isn't going to get this sweater finished." she spoke, lifting it a little closer towards herself.  
"I don't think you'll have it complete before his birthday." Izuna uttered, watching her pull at the wool with an air of frustration around her.  
"I'm sure Madara'll understand, I can give him what I have done by then and tell him I'll finish it later." she uttered, tilting her head back to gaze at the ceiling in thought.  
"Lenore, are you in here?" came a new voice, causing both of them to still in surprise.  
"Thar he blows." she snidely commented, narrowing her gaze.  
"Look's like it's my father." he uttered, getting up from his seat.  
"Of course it is, who else sneaks about? I think he knows if he didn't I'd pretend I wasn't here, the old-" she uttered, hearing the door open nearby. "In here, father!" she called, trying to force a smile upon her face.

Seeing his head poke around the corner Lenore waved gingerly, her foot kicking the box away from the seat as she hid away the sweater carefully. With Izuna now leaving the room Lenore found herself alone with him, the sort of situation she did not feel comfortable with.  
"I just dropped by to see how you were coming with your present for Madara, Lenore." Tajima spoke, entering the room to see what she was up to.  
"Oh, it's coming along fine." Lenore responded, hiding the present away.  
"What are you making… if I'm not being too nosey?" he enquired, while her eyebrow slowly raised.  
"You?… Nosey?" Lenore exaggerated, widening her eyes as he chuckled a little.  
"Well, what are you making?" he asked curiously.  
"I'm knitting him something." the Uchiha answered, causing him to blink.  
"Really?" he enquired, while she simply frowned at him.

Examining her curiously from where he was standing he ignored the fact that Lenore was shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.  
"Well, there's a sight I'd never see. Lenore Uchiha dusting." he stated, having spotted the jumper she was trying to hide. Quietly she turned her gaze towards the wool with a questioning expression, not quite sure what he meant until she realised he had seen her work poking out from behind her. Now she was less than pleased.  
"I'm not dusting." she stated firmly.  
"Then what is that dirty old dust-rag for?" he asked, examining the lump of black cloth curiously as she took it out from behind herself.  
"This is a jumper I'm knitting." Lenore finally stated, her eyebrows lowering slightly.  
"Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't look very closely. Who's dog is it for?" he then asked, only frustrating Lenore more.  
"Yours." she bluntly replied quietly, gaining a questioning expression from him.  
"Pardon?" he asked, having not quite heard her clearly.

Giving him a good hard stare Lenore finally spoke, not quite sure she really wanted to tell him who the jumper was for.  
"It's for Madara." she finally uttered, just anticipating the scrutiny she was about to get.  
"For Madara?" he asked, beginning to laugh. "I could just die." he chuckled.  
"Yes, but you wont." she answered, her face remaining expressionless.  
"What?" he asked, having been too caught up in his own amusement to have heard her the first time. "I'm sorry, I've hurt your feelings, Lenore." he then spoke, seeing the annoyed expression on her face.  
"How could you tell?" she asked stiffly, sitting up a little further in her seat. "Well, pull up a dust ball and sit with me then, father." she then offered, though he remained standing nonetheless.

Quietly Tajima had been processing the fact that she was making his son a jumper for his birthday, his eyebrow finally deciding to ping up his forehead in a sceptical fashion.  
"Lenore, if I may make a suggestion, I wouldn't bother finishing that jumper for Madara." he spoke, while Lenore simply got up and crossed her arms.  
"Oh, you would, would you?" she asked, rolling her eyes gently.  
"Now Lenore, it's no disgrace not knowing how to knit. You have other talents." he quickly stated, catching her shift back on her heel and give him a soft but curious expression.  
"I have?" she asked, not quite sure where he was going with this.  
"You must have." he answered, making her frown once more. "I mean, some wives can knit, some wives can cook. Some wives are beautiful and some are intelligent." he listed off, only making the frown on Lenore's face intensify. "And you're, uh… You're, ehm… Hm…" he spoke, trying to think of something to label her as in the wife department.

Slowly Lenore tilted forward, her fingers tapping off her arms impatiently as he stammered on trying to think of something.  
"Well, I should probably be going." he then uttered swiftly, seeing the irate expression on her face that he had been certain only Madara could pull off up until now.  
"Are you being escorted, or should I call for a black broomstick to pick you up?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.  
"Now Lenore, you're being too sensitive. If I've said anything to upset you then it's just for your own good." the Uchiha spoke, watching her closely. "If I can't even make a simple suggestion what on earth am I here for?" the man asked, turning to examine her thoroughly.  
"Oh, you're beginning to wonder too?" the woman asked, while he just frowned a little.  
"I'm only trying to help you, Lenore. I don't want you to be embarrassed, you see Madara's grandmother is knitting him a beautiful cashmere jumper." he explained, seeing her expression slowly fade.  
"She is?" she asked, somewhat put off by the idea of making the same present as someone else.

Nodding he gazed upon her saddened expression.  
"Yes, and I don't want you to suffer though any comparisons." he uttered, taking a moment to wipe his finger across the top of a table and tut.  
"What are you running your finger across that table for, forget where you parked your gum?" Lenore asked, looking him up and down.  
"Would you look at my finger, it's just black with dust." he uttered, giving his hand a surprised gaze.  
"Well, there's only one thing for you to do." Lenore sighed, gaining his attention.  
"Talk to the head of the cleaning-nin?" he asked, while she just shook her head simply.  
"No, wash your hands." she answered, causing his expression to grow stiff.  
"That wont make this house any cleaner." he told her off.  
"Yeah, but at least then it would keep you occupied for the rest of the day so you're not bothering me." the Uchiha shrugged.

Gaining an annoyed tut in response the man crossed his arms.  
"Well, I wash my hands of the whole thing." the man stated, clearly displeased with her rude behaviour.  
"Good." Lenore replied sharply, making him glare.  
"Well, I certainly know when I'm not wanted." he snapped, bitterly looking down at her.  
"Since when?" Lenore retorted bluntly, only making him angrier.  
"Well!" he barked, twisting on his heel to leave. "Good afternoon, Lenore." he hissed through grit teeth.  
"Must you rush off?" the Uchiha called after him sweetly.  
"Well!" he shouted again, slamming open the door to storm off down the hall.

Groaning Lenore went back to her seat, a scowl still on her face as she picked up her knitted jumper and sat back down with a growl. A short while later Izuna wandered in, his ebony eyes observing her for a moment, his father had really gotten under her skin this time.  
"Oh, Izuna. Your grandmother is knitting Madara a sweater too!" she protested softly, glaring at her work as he gasped a soft 'really?'. "I just have to finish my knitting and it has to be better than hers, give me my knitting needles." she exasperated, taking them to start working once more. "Knit one, pearl two, knit one, pearl two, knit one, pearl two, whoops!" she started chiming, getting to work as fast as she could.


	2. Chapter 2

Later one night Lenore was still busy at work on the jumper she was supposed to be knitting for Madara, her voice murmuring gently as she sleepily tapped her needles together with her eyes shut.  
"Knit one.. Pearl two.." she mumbled, drifting off to sleep.  
"Lenore?" Izuna enquired, jumping ever so slightly when the young woman snorted and flinched in her seat.  
"Knit one, pearl two." she gasped, eyes wide with surprise before they drifted closed once again.

Tilting her head forwards sleepily Lenore's hands continued to knit, though it did not appear they were getting anywhere.  
"Are you still awake, Lenore? It's two in the morning." he uttered, pouting softly.  
"What day?" she asked in a groggy fashion, opening her heavy eyes for only a moment to peer up at Izuna. "I can't help it, Izuna, I have to finish this jumper." she groaned sleepily, while he gave her a soft look and gazed down at it curiously.  
"How's it coming?" he asked.  
"Oh, I dunno, I haven't been able to see for two hours." she murmured, beginning to fondle the fabric. "It feels alright." she spoke, while Izuna took it from her.  
"Let me have a look." he uttered, examining the ebony wool closely. "Well, you've fixed the neck problem, only one neck-hole." he uttered, while Lenore drifted her eyebrows up for a moment and then gave the wall in the distance a rather unexcited stare.  
"Goody." she responded stiffly.  
"What's this thing?" Izuna asked, while Lenore simply gave him a confused and tired glance.  
"That's a sleeve." the woman answered.  
"Oh, and what's this one?" he then asked, picking up a second tube-shaped clump of wool.  
"That's the other sleeve." Lenore answered, hitching her eyebrows up as she questioned where he was going with this.

Beginning to drift off once more Lenore is soon dragged away from the edge of slumber land by Izuna's voice.  
"Lenore?" the young teen then asked.  
"Yeah?" she enquired, pushing open her heavy eyes to peer up at him when his voice awoke her.  
"What's this one?" he asked carefully, almost as disheartened as her.  
"Oh no, three sleeves!" she moaned, feeling her head sink onto her shoulders. "Izuna, do you know anyone with three-" she went to say, being abruptly cut off by the Uchiha.  
"No." he simply stated, handing the jumper back to her as she sighed.  
"Oh well." she mumbled. "Well, here I go again, Lenore the Ripper." she entitled herself, gazing down at all her hard work she would need to pull apart.  
"I'm losing ground, Izuna." she murmured, watching him as he said a quiet 'goodnight' and told her to go to bed before she accidentally knitted herself into the jumper as well.

By morning Lenore was absolutely shattered, her hazy vision causing her to bump into walls, pillars, and the occasional servant who had not seen her lumbering towards them.  
"Oh, here's sleeping beauty now." Madara uttered, seeing her wander into the bedroom with her arms hung by her sides.  
"Morning, Lenore." Hashirama uttered, having been here speaking to Madara about one thing or another.  
"Morning." Madara also spoke once she was sitting on the bed, yawning to herself.  
"Morn…" she mumbled, cutting herself off to yawn again and then mutter incoherently.  
"Open your eyes, Lenore.." the leader's son uttered, observing her pink-ish eyes.  
"They are open." she responded, peering at the Senju when he held out a glass.  
"This might help." he offered, while she just observed the red liquid.  
"No thanks, don't like tomato juice." Lenore murmured, causing the pair of men to blink somewhat.  
"That's not tomato juice, that's milk." Madara stated, while she gave it an odd stare.  
"Why's it red?" she questioned bluntly.  
"It isn't, that's the glow from your eyes." he replied, making the young woman's lips contort up to bare one side of her teeth.  
"Eurgh…" she spoke, clearly put off by that little fact.

Examining her curiously Madara could tell she had the same kimono on from yesterday, causing him to wonder if she had even been in their room since yesterday morning.  
"What were you doing last night, Lenore?" the Uchiha curiously enquired.  
"Oh, just working in the sheep sheering hut out back." she replied, her eyes lolling towards the floor.  
"Hm, making something for me?" he asked, giving her a knowing smile.  
"No." she replied stiffly, tilting backwards so that she could lean further onto the bed.  
"Oh, come on, what is it? Give me a hint." he stated, while she just gave him a tired look.  
"Alright, I'll give you the same hint I gave you last time." she uttered, deciding she would play into his little game. "It's got three arms, two necks and a foot sticking out of its back." she quickly told him, while he nodded a little as she went.  
"Lenore!" he gasped, grinning like an idiot. "You're knitting me a jumper!" he exclaimed, to which Lenore's eyes widened.  
"What?" she snapped, rather surprised.

Settling a little Madara chuckled to himself, while she simply continued to stare at him.  
"Hm, that was a pretty wild guess, wasn't it?" he asked, smiling to himself. "Hah, imagine. You knitting me a sweater." he guffawed, wandering towards the bedroom door still laughing.  
"Hashirama, hand me a knife and tell me where he is!" Lenore shouted, lifting her arm to hold her hand out expectantly. A few minutes later the room became silent, leaving her and the Senju alone in the room together.  
"I thought he knew for a minute there." he chuckled, turning to look at the bundle of flesh laying lifelessly on the bed.  
"Oh, he's so smart." Lenore sarcastically replied, dragging herself up onto her feet once more.  
"That's just another reason why I have to finish this jumper." she grumbled, sitting down on the chair nearest Madara's desk at the corner of the room.  
"Will you get me my knitting set, it's over there in my closet." she requested, while he hesitated for a moment.  
"Well, alright, but I really think you should go to bed." he uttered, finally obliging and going to the closet to bring it to her.  
"I can't help it, I've got to finish this jumper." Lenore protested, taking her stuff to start once more.

As the days rolled in Lenore found herself wearing thicker and thicker kimonos, and by the time it was only one more night until Madara's birthday it had gotten frightfully chilly.  
"Why does Madara's coming of age celebration have to be near the end of the year. It always gets really cold this time in December." Lenore mumbled to herself gently, her eyes lolling up to look at the ceiling. It was late into the evening at this point, and she had found herself alone in bed, bundled in five layers of covers. Muttering she sat up and looked around, wondering quietly to herself if she should check her jumper one more time for any imperfections.  
Hearing the door she quickly darted down and remained still, the sound of feet coming towards the bed stilling to be taken over by the bed creaking.  
"Lenore, are you still awake?" she heard Madara murmur, his eyes watching the covers squirm for a moment.  
"Hm? Oh, you're back." she uttered, feigning a yawn as she sleepily got up and examined him.  
"It's freezing in here." he spoke, frowning as he pushed his vest back down. It was too cold for even him to sleep topless.

Softening her features Lenore pulled the covers out from underneath her and motioned for him to get into bed properly, to which he complied without an ounce of hesitation. Once he was tucked into bed beside her the Uchiha lay on his back staring at the ceiling as he always did.  
"Everyone will be at my birthday party tomorrow evening; from family members to important out of country figure-heads. My dad's making a huge deal out of me turning twenty." he spoke, carefully sliding his arm underneath the pillows to try slip it across the bed and underneath Lenore's head.  
"Let me guess, I'm not invited." she assumed, raising her eyebrow.  
"Of course you are, you have to be there." he spoke, only making her eyes roll.  
"I'm pretty sure you'll be too busy flirting with the strange but beautiful women of the nation to notice a wall flower." she informed him, while he just pouted and turned onto his side.

Cautiously Lenore looked at him from the corner of her eye and then back to the ceiling, her eyes lolling back to the side as she tilted her head to see what he was doing. She almost had a heart attack when his arm finally pounced from her pillow and rolled her into his chest, her hands shooting up to stop herself as she came flush against him.  
"You should stop being so pessimistic." he informed her, his other arm slithering over her waist like a sly serpent so that his hand could flatten out against her back.  
"I'm not being pessimistic, a woman's perfume is like a pheromone to you. You smell it and start acting like some kind of finely plumed peacock." Lenore grumbled, the scent of his cologne relaxing her as she leaned her lips against his collarbone due to being trapped in that position.  
"Would that make you my peahen?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.  
"Yep, small and dull, that's me." she mumbled, shaking softly when his chest shuddered from him laughing gently.

Murmuring something he began to stroke her back.  
"Will any of your friends be there?" Lenore asked, her eyelids shut halfway as she weakly gazed at his neck.  
"Probably not, they'll just be friends of my father." the Uchiha answered.  
"You don't have any friends?" the young woman questioned, pouting a little. "What about the Senju?" she suggested, to which he shook his head.  
"Though they consider it friendship I simply see it as a way of keeping the peace between the clans." he explained, while she just frowned.  
"What about me?" Lenore asked, hitching her eyebrow.  
"You're my fiancé, that doesn't really count." he replied, only making her roll her eyes.

After a short moment of silence, and some thought, Lenore finally spoke.  
"How about you try make a friend tomorrow?" she suggested, raising her eyebrow.  
"I may make some contacts." he uttered, causing her to sigh. "At any rate, I don't need friends. I'm happy with what I have." Madara informed her, squeezing her softly.  
"Oh?" Lenore asked, raising her eyebrow.  
"My happiness came about because of one wonderful person, more people would mar that." Madara spoke, causing Lenore to blush softly.  
"Madara…" she uttered, though he seemed to be in a world of his own.  
"One person who has little human fault. Who is understanding, sweet, considerate." he continued, while Lenore's face continued to grow a shade darker.  
"And beautiful?" she asked curiously.  
"Absolutely." he stated firmly, smiling a little as she laughed bashfully.  
"Who is it, Madara?" Lenore enquired, leaning that little bit closer towards him.  
"Me." he responded bluntly, while Lenore felt every butterfly in her stomach sink like led as the colour in her features washed away.

Tutting Lenore pinched him slightly and put her forehead back against his chest, her eyes shutting slowly. Worming his way down her body the Uchiha slipped his hand onto her hip, his fingers crawling like spiders legs across the fabric of her pyjamas effortlessly.  
"I told you, not until we're married." she told him off, causing him to grumble with disappointment and go back to simply running his fingers through her hair. In the morning Lenore had been rudely disturbed by Madara's father, who told his son to get ready as soon as possible as the day was only beginning. It was five in the morning, only birds saw this time as a new day.  
Ruffled and ready to go back to sleep Lenore found no joy in this as maids came in to sweep her off her feet and prepare her for the party which would start mid-afternoon and not end until midnight. Knowing Madara the party would start Thursday and end Monday if he had his way. Grumbling the ebony haired woman got up after being pushed, pulled and complained at until the maids were both tired and blue in the face, she was not known for being stubborn for no reason.

Glancing at her options Lenore chose a navy blue kimono with an azure trim, and unlike the rest of the kimonos that were bright with patterns this one had a simple and tasteful white unripe physalis fruit growing up the side of the dress that reached and rested on her hip. She was quite fond of this print on the kimono really, despite the maids attempting to have her choose a different kimono, the orange dot, which was the fruit held within the leaves, reminded her of the Uchiha clan symbol.  
Having her make-up put on to match and her hair put into its necessary style Lenore was finally allowed something to eat and drink before she would need to be reintroduced to Madara and forced to greet the visitors with a smile, she only hoped she was going to do a good job of it, even if it were only slightly. Walking carefully down the stairs that evening, trying not to trip over herself, Lenore made her way to the hall where the party was being hosted, having finally been called upon to make an entrance. She had hoped they would forget about her, but apparently not.

Upon finding the room the young woman glanced about, attempting to ignore the head turners as she went.  
"Madara, there you are. What did I miss?" she asked, peering up at him as he just stared at her. He was still holding a guest's hand and forced said visitor to free their hand of their own accord since he was too busy looking star struck to notice.  
"Not much." he replied, lolling his ebony eyes up and down her figure.  
"I've done it again. He's lost his sharingan." Lenore uttered, directing her attention to the guest before waving them inside. "Enjoy the festivities." she spoke, smiling pleasantly.  
"You look lovely." the Uchiha purred, giving her a goofy smile.  
Rolling her eyes Lenore attempted to put her marital classes to good use and greeted everyone as politely as she could, always remembering to keep her back straight and her head held high like a proper noble woman. Once everyone was inside Lenore went about talking to the people she had greeted at the door, though she stuck close to Madara throughout the entire ordeal.  
"You're a regular social butterfly." her fiancé uttered, admiring her unusually friendly and rather inviting performance.  
"Yeah, but my cocoon is dragging." she replied gently, feeling a little exhausted now.

Chuckling the tall man was drawn away by his father, it was time to open his presents. It was an interesting array of items, though the most prominent one was an item that his father gave him. It was a white Gunbai with a black trim and three red sharingan tomoe printed onto the bigger of the two wooden panels on both sides, the size of it made many people gasp in awe as Madara got up to show it off to the guests.  
"What do you think of it, Lenore?" the Uchiha asked once the excitement died down and he went about opening his next present.  
"It kind of reminds me of a giant ice cream on a stick." she replied, gaining a small smile from the Uchiha.  
" I suppose I should trust you not to comprehend the beauty of such a finally crafted weapon." Tajima grumbled, whilst she just pouted.  
"That's a weapon? I thought it was for licking." she replied, smiling at the annoyed expression Madara's father then gave her.

Having opened every present and thanked the guests Madara glanced around a bit, looking a bit disappointed when he found the one present he was most interested in was not there.  
"Lenore… I feel there's a present missing." the Uchiha uttered, giving her a suggestive glance.  
"Hm, fourteen couples, twenty-eight presents, excluding family ones… No, that's everyone accounted for." Lenore answered, sipping from her tea cup gently. Allowing her ears to twitch the young woman slowly turned her head to look at Madara with a dry expression. He was looking at her with big round teary eyes and his lip puckered out, while a noise, much like a wounded dog, was leaking out of him.

Patiently Lenore just stared at him for a good long minute before she finally sighed.  
"I didn't want to give you your present in front of everyone." she mumbled, blushing a little. At that point Madara allowed his mind to go wild, which notably caused his foot and leg to start bouncing underneath the table. Deciding it was best she did not ask what he thought he was getting for his twentieth birthday Lenore went back to munching on the festive snacks, and before long the party was finally coming to a close, leaving one last dance that required the women to dance for the men.  
"Go on, Lenore." Madara encouraged her, pushing her by the shoulders out to join the other girls.  
Nervously she quickly attempted to prepare herself and tried to stand at the back, hoping not to be noticeable among the several pretty faces. In a rhythmic manner, but not in unisons, all the girls began to spin on their feet and swing their long veils into the air then back down, causing them to swirl and swish through the air. Some did not have scarves and so would flick their fans elegantly as they moved.

Trying not to hold her breath too much Lenore let everything she had learned take hold, allowing her to practically flutter about like a butterfly in the breeze for the long period of dancing. She had not noticed, however, that everyone had stopped and shuffled out of the way to watch her towards the end, and when she finally finished dancing, and opened her eyes, Lenore's face turned a fiery red in embarrassment. Forcing herself to stay and bow towards the adoring claps and cheers she then quickly scurried off to hide in the shadows once more.  
"Why me." she groaned, hiding her face behind her fan.  
"You looked simple beautiful out there dancing." Madara spoke, allowing his fingers to crawl up her leg until she pinched his index finger and squeezed it hard enough to make him wince and pull his hand away with a frown.  
"I embarrassed myself." she pined, gaining a short eye roll from the Uchiha.  
"You did not. They loved it." he corrected her, whispering that he would have something sweet brought to the bedchamber later if it would make her feel better.

Coming to the conclusion that it was best she did not brood about it for much longer Lenore did one last round around the guests to try regain some of her reputation, and as she neared the other end of the hall she stiffened when there was an explosion. Hitting the floor and rolling slightly the young woman found herself deafened and dazed, her vision wobbling as she lay on her back with dirt and dust enveloping her in a cloud.  
Trying to figure out what had happened the Uchiha could hear the vague sounds of screams, followed by the strange sensation of being hoisted up by the sash of her kimono. Hopelessly confused Lenore tried to pull her head up, the sensation of something warm running down her forehead causing her to look towards the floor when it fell from her chin. Blood, it seemed she was injured.

Hearing a rather misty echo of her own name Lenore looked up, a lope-sided expression being returned to the furious one on Madara's normally soft, albeit broody, feature. Not quite sure what was going on, and having a damn hard time stringing one coherent thought together, Lenore peered up towards whoever was holding her. He was a big man, with shaggy brown hair, a slight tan and several missing teeth, his headband was tied around his neck with what seemed to be the symbol for the rain village.  
After some squinting to try focus her vision she eventually made out the slash through it, it was apparent this man was a wanted criminal. When he suddenly started moving Lenore could do nothing more than shut her eyes in agony however, the sudden start and heavy jolting as he made his way down the roof and into the forest with his comrades did nothing for her concussion.

Back in the hall Madara was pacing up and down demanding to know how they even got through their defences, while the guards that were not being screamed at were being told to keep tabs on where those intruders were going.  
"It must have been a planned attack, all they wanted was Lenore." Izuna surmised, whilst his elder brother just groaned.  
"I don't want to think about that right now. I want to know how I'm going to get Lenore back." the Uchiha fumed, angry the missing-nin had gone so far as to use his fiancé as a human meat shield to protect himself from the array of angry Uchiha he had decided to piss off.  
"They most likely stole her so they could return her with a ransom attached." Tajima added, only making Madara more irate.  
"Well the only metal they'll get from me is a kunai to their throat." he seethed, whilst his father frowned.  
"Calm down, son. A rash decision might put her in danger." he murmured with a slight pause. "Do carry on." he mused, while his son took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.  
"Don't worry, we'll find her." his brother consoled him, turning to nod to a few guards before they left to track down the missing bride.

These men had left with finesse however, and it seemed it was going to be difficult to hunt down the missing Lenore. Though hope was not completely lost, far to the south someone had happened upon her hairpin, bringing the search for her back to life during its fading embers. During the week she had gone missing Lenore had found herself locked in a cell, her eyesight and thought process returning to her gradually throughout this period of time, and as her health returned so to did her growing concern.  
From what she had overheard they were planning to use her as the fuse that would create a feudal war, not that she would comply willingly.  
"I'm not having anything to do with this!" Lenore protested, being dragged kicking and screaming outside and towards a massive open field.  
"You've no decision in this, you're a prisoner of war." the brunet who had kidnapped her previously informed her, smirking at her angry features.  
"What have I got to do with this anyway?" she asked, glowering up at him with her body constricted by ropes.  
"We need to draw the Uchiha out, and what better way to do that than with Madara's most resent fancy?" the man asked, hitching his eyebrow crudely. "Tie her to the mast, our banner is ready!" he shouted, taking a step back to let his men get in front and start dragging her towards a massive wooden post.

Being shoved onto it Lenore kicked and spat as they tied her to it with both rope and chains, finally letting go when she was secured to the post.  
"What the hell are you doing?!" she snapped, whilst the man just grinned that little bit more.  
"You will be the flag." he informed her, his eyes lolling upwards as her words turned to screams as the post was suddenly hoisted and pulled upright. Hung high in the air Lenore continued to shout at him, though her language fell on deaf ears as the man went to the front lines to lay in wait for the approaching army.  
"This is ridiculous." Lenore huffed, stilling for a moment before groaning when she lost a sandal.

Stuck to the post the young woman stared at the tops of the trees on the other side, her eyelids squinting when some of them notably moved in an unnatural fashion.  
"They are upon us!" the man shouted, causing his men to fall into line. Watching closely Lenore's eyes widened when Madara, Izuna, Tajima and the rest of the able Uchiha clan entered the clearing before stopping to get into line.  
"Looks like they were prepared for us." Izuna uttered, while his elder brother flicked his sharingan around to look at the opposition in an excited fashion. This was certainly going to be the fight he was hoping for.  
"Up there." his father spoke, motioning upwards towards the post on the enemy's side.  
"Lenore." Madara murmured, masking the fact that he was glad to see she was alright.

On the other side the leader motioned for his shinobi to attack, causing Madara's father to command his own men to go. Charging down the hill the men eventually collided, whilst Madara kept weaving his way through the army to try get to the leader. Along the way he stabbed, kicked, bludgeoned and even twisted several people's necks when they boldly stepped in front of his path of destruction. Many of the nin around him chose to wisely go for the lesser nin and not him, especially after witnessing their cohorts fall like fruit flies just mere minutes ago.  
As this took place Lenore watched from above, her ebony eyes swishing from one side to the other as she watched Madara fight. He was better than his father proclaimed, and watching him fight even put Lenore on edge. Feeling a shiver crawl up her spine the young woman winced when the Uchiha jumped into the air and used another man as a projectile to throw at a couple nin stood on the ground below.

Watching one man get kicked backwards Lenore found herself staring in awe as said nin blew up, taking out several people in the process. This guy was nuts, and it only got more ridiculous when he shouted a fire release jutsu and fireballs started raining from the sky. Madara was certainly a force not to be reckoned with, and it was obvious the leader was beginning to have second thoughts about sticking around to see the obvious outcome of this fight.  
"Oi, you coward, get in there and fight!" Lenore shouted, causing the man to tense and then settled.  
"Yes, why don't you?" he commented, using his brute strength to topple the mast over. Falling through the air the wooden beam began to twist, giving Lenore some comfort in knowing it was about to be a swift death the second she face planted the earth.

Somewhere in between screaming bloody murder and the beam hitting the ground Lenore found herself rather confused, and winded, when she went spinning through the air and hit into a few enemy shinobi. Someone had cut the ropes and released her from her binds, thankfully. Groaning she struggled to her feet, taking only a moment to glance at the two men she successfully knocked out by landing her full weight onto them, curiously she was alright despite the stinging in her lungs.  
Quickly she then decided she was not alright, however, when a few of the enemy came at her.  
"Oh, come on!" she snapped, using her festival scarf as a weapon to wrap around her two assailants' heads and bonk them together harshly. "Hey, that worked." she uttered, suddenly becoming a little excited. She did not get long to really celebrate though, as a few more nin came over the log to chase after her.

Running she quickly pulled a few needles out and threw them, successfully lodging them into a few vital nerves, rendering her attackers useless and paralyzed on the ground. It was at that point that Lenore hitched an eyebrow, who knew marital classes would come in useful. Running in the direction of her own men Lenore continued to use acupuncture, her scarf, and on one occasion her sandal, which she found while ducking through a pair of fighting nin, to beat off her opponents.  
She was almost at the centre of the fight at this point, though she hissed and ducked when something sliced through an enemy in front of her and almost got her.  
"Kami damn it!" she protested, getting blood on her already ruined kimono. Flinching Lenore stuck her hands up when the weapon wielding maniac towered over her.  
"Lenore, why are you here. Get out of the way, you're going to get yourself killed." Madara proclaimed, looking down at her with an expression that was not like his own.

Staring at him the young woman shook off the blood lust in his eyes to frown.  
"Hey, I can hold my own." she snapped, using her scarf to snag someone who Madara then kicked in the chest and sent whipping backwards. "Hah, team work! I finally get to see what a shinobi fight is like." the ebony haired woman cheered, flicking her head to the side to let Madara punch someone in the side of the head and kill them.  
"You shouldn't be here." he protested, frowning all the more as he used his gunbai to slice into someone attacking from the air.  
"But I totally kick ass, look what I did to all those guys." she stated enthusiastically, using a few needles to stop the chakra flow in an opponents arms so Madara could wipe the floor with them. "And that guy." she added, looking rather proud of herself.  
"I told you, get out of the battlefield." the Uchiha warned her, grabbing her by the scruff of the neck to throw her.

Waving her arms as Madara spun to kick more men back before they could get too close the Uchiha aimed for a tree and spun on his toes before letting her go.  
"You baa-aaa-sta-aa-rd!" she screamed, hurtling through the air before colliding with a few branches and getting stuck there. With that problem out of the way Madara could finally fight without holding back, and damn did these poor sods know it. Kunai after kunai was launched, only to be caught and thrown right back in quick succession, whilst the Uchiha made his way towards the leader. Cursing the brute backed off, his heavy feet attempting to carry him towards the nearest exit. Stifling a breath the man was soon stopped by Madara, who evaporated in front of him and allowed his sharingan to turn slightly. His predatory eyes boring into his prey, moving only slightly to bring utter terror to the man.

By the tree Izuna had come to see if Lenore was alright, his arms stretching out to catch her when she pulled her head free from the thick branches and fell towards the ground.  
"Are you alright?" the young man asked, while she simply nodded and staggered to her feet.  
"I'm going to kill him." she announced, pushing her sleeve up as she stomped off back towards the battlefield.  
"Don't worry, Madara has this covered." Izuna informed her, reaching out his hand to tightly grip her shoulder.  
"Who do you think I'm going to beat up?" Lenore asked, glowering as she turned to look at him.

Realising who she initially meant the young boy frowned and dragged Lenore towards the back lines of the Uchiha's defences before she could do anything reckless.  
"He meant well." the young man stated firmly, handing her over to a few medical-nin. Despite her disapproval the man began checking her over, noting a few minor bruises but surmised that a nin from the opposing faction had healed her while she was imprisoned. Hearing cheering Lenore got up and tried to see what was going on, her toes spreading out as she stood upright onto them and peered over the amass of heads. Apparently Madara had won the fight and was now basking in the cheering and celebration he was getting, the sight causing Lenore to roll her eyes slowly and give someone's back a lop-sided smile. That guy sure loved getting praise.  
"Lenore." Tajima spoke, gaining her attention. "I see you're more or less unscathed." he uttered, while she simply nodded a bit.  
"I'm sure you're glad." she uttered, giving him a coy smile while he remained as plain as usual.  
"Yes, 'glad'." he remarked, stalking off back into the crowd after telling a few guards to escort Lenore back to the estate.  
"I think he was actually worried about me." the young woman spoke, nudging one of the men as she followed them into the forest.

Back in the estate that night Lenore was in the bedchamber shuffling through something in her closet, her head raising when she thought she heard something moving about by a corner of the room. Raising her eyebrow she went back to searching for the present she had hidden there, a dry look coming over her features when she felt Madara grab her by the hips and draw her ass, which was stuck up above her head, towards his hips.  
"What did I tell you about personal space?" the Uchiha asked, straightening up but not being released so easily.  
"Is that anyway to thank you saviour?" the ebony haired man purred, pressing his nose against the side of her head to allow the hypnotising scent of lavender to soothe him.  
"You're right…" she mumbled, leaning forward to motion for a kiss. Watching him shut his eyes and pucker out his lips Lenore just smirked evilly and let him hold the pose for a little while longer before pushing a box into his arms, the firm action causing him to falter and open one eye out of confusion.  
"What's this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Your birthday present." she replied, stalking off to sit on the edge of the bed and pull her indoor shoes off.

Gleefully he went to sit next to her and pull it open and then take the lid off.  
"Oh boy, what is it?" he asked, looking rather excited by the present he had been anticipating for longer than he liked to think. "Sexy panties?" he asked, pulling away the paper that was protecting the fabric.  
"I can see you wearing a pair." she replied in a joking manner, watching him pick up the jumper and examine in.  
"You did knit me a sweater." he stated, grinning like an idiot.  
"And look, two sleeves!" she cheered as she clapped enthusiastically.  
"That's great, Lenore. I have a present for you too." he uttered, handing her a small handkerchief.

Questioning this Lenore took the hanky and began to pull it open, her ebony eyes shifting when she realised it was her hairclip.  
"You found my hair clip, now I have two of them again." she spoke, lunging Madara and hugging him tightly. At first he had tensed in a defensive manner, a soft grunt parting his lips when she knocked the wind out of him, but once he settled he quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.  
Humming softly at the tight cuddle the young woman shut her eyes, she had missed his jasmine musk.  
"Someone seems tired." the Uchiha uttered, stifling a yawn himself.  
"It's been a long day." she answered, running her hand up and down his chest which seemed almost bare without the thick red armour.  
"Let's go to bed then." the man murmured, flicking his index finger across his thumb up ping the neck of her kimono to the side. Blushing Lenore gave him a side way glance and got to her feet, causing him to fall sideways onto the edge of the bed.

Pouting like an injured puppy Madara watched her waltz off to get changed into her pyjamas, while he just grumbled in defeat and climbed into bed. Laying on his back he remained there as the light was turned off and the bed warped under his fiancé's weight as she crawled across the sheets to find her favourite spot on the bed, an indent Madara had made when he fell onto the mattress in his armour and broke the wooden support beams underneath. Curling up Lenore quietly lay there for a while, her hand reaching up to rub her arm when a cold chill drifted over her skin. Shuddering she shuffled closer towards Madara and nuzzled into him, taking satisfaction in his arms wrapping around her to pull her closer moments later.

Staring at her for a long moment the Uchiha shuddered when he felt her press her lips against his, a gift he had been waiting for the longest of all. Not willing to let her shuffle away so soon Madara put his arm up behind her neck to keep her in place, his nose tapping against her own as he continued to plant soft kisses on her lips.  
"Mm, okay, okay, calm down. You wont fall asleep if you keep that up." she giggled, pressing her hands against his chest.  
"Maybe I don't want to." he whispered, shifting his face to the side to let his lips press against the curve between her neck and shoulder.  
"Madara?" she asked, peering at him through the shadows that were only being fought back by the light of the moon outside the window.  
"Yes?" he replied, shifting away to make proper eye contact with her.  
"Will you still love me when I'm old?" she asked carefully, her head shuffling out of his ebony tresses.  
"Of course." he answered, sliding his cheek across the pillows once more.  
"Will you take me out?" she asked, shutting her eyelids half way.  
"I'll take you out and wheel you around the block." Madara murmured, hearing a soft chuckle part her lips.


End file.
